


Starlight

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Romance, just a cheesy romance because stony is beautiful and nothing hurts, where steve is tired and tony wants to help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve hates the 21st century. He thinks people are obnoxious, places are filthy and he honestly doesn't think he will ever adapt to this century. Tony asks for a chance to prove him that he is wrong. Now Tony has a week to show Steve that this decade can be as good as or even better than the forties.<br/>Or the one in which Tony makes a list of all the things he loves about this century and Steve just might find out something he loves too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> Just a cheesy, cliché Stony because it is my OTP and though I wouldn't admit it, I kind of like writing cheesy romances. It probably won't contain smut because I'm not quite sure I can write it. Perhaps if it fits the storyline I'll force myself to write, but I don't think it'll be necessary.  
> Hope you guys like it and forgive any misspellings. This chapter is not edited because I didn't have time, but I'm gonna do that later.  
> Enjoy!

 

To say Steve was tired was an understatement. Steve Rogers was completely, fully and utterly exhausted. He just couldn't bear it anymore. All this changes, all this technology, all this innovations. It was just too much for him. He was trying; he was trying really hard to adapt, but he couldn't bring himself to feel comfortable with this new time, or even to like it. And having to beat super villains in the meantime wasn't exactly helping him with that.

He missed the past.

Oh, how he missed  _his_ past. He missed Bucky more than ever, but he also missed Peggy, and the old man from the newsstand in front of his apartment, and even the Red Skull. Now they were all gone and there were new villains, new weapons, aliens, gods and all kinds of crazy things. And the people. Ugh, the people now were simply disgusting. Of course there were exceptions, but some people out there seemed to be more evil than a lot of villains he'd had to face. Sure, there were bad people in his own time. There had always been and always would be. But the amount of cruelty, greed, egoism and pervesity he saw on the streets every day was absurd, shocking and just ridiculous. When people had become so self-centered and shallow? When did what you have had become more important than who you are? 

Steve was way more than just tired. He was baffled and ashamed of what the Earth had become. And he was exhausted. So, so exhausted...

But he was Captain America. And when Steve put up the suit, he forgot all of his worries and put all of his personal problems aside. He became the leader, the Captain, and all that mattered was the protection of people around him. It didn't matter how much he usually felt out of place because when he was in the battlefield, Steve felt like there was no other thing he should be doing with his life. He was made for that and no one could deny it, not even himself. So he tried to forget his uneasiness with this new century because he was doing the right thing, saving lives and all, and he honestly thought that it could offset everything else.

That in mind, it is clear that Steve didn't wish anyone to find out how much he loathed the future, that is, the present, especially not Tony Stark. Thereby, when Tony showed up at his room at SHIELD's headquarter, nearly two weeks after the last time they'd seen each other in field, looking awakwardly hesitant and wary, the last thing Steve would've thought is that he was there to 'help him to fit in', as he would discover later. 

"Stark? What are y-" Steve blurted, then shook his head at his own lack of manners and added, quickly and politely, "Uh, hi, Tony. How are you?"

"Hey, uh, hey Steve," Tony said. He was wearing one of his many tailored suits and Steve realized there was a long time he didn't see the billionaire without the armor. He was a whole lot different, but Steve couldn't explain how or in which way. Just... different. Steve was used to see Thor, Clint and even Natasha frequently when they were out of duty, but he didn't see Tony quite as much. Actually, he didn't see Tony at all. They tried to avoid each other the most they could, because whenever they hang out together they'd eventually end up at each other's throat and something always either blew up or was smashed during their fights. Tony went on, "Wonderful. You?"

Steve's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "I'm fine, Tony. So... why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Tony looked suggestively inside the room and Steve blushed slightly, scratching the back of his neck, "Hm, do you wanna come in?"

Tony grinned, "I'd love too."

Once they were inside the room, Tony couldn't help but check everything out. He examed the whole space meticulously with his eyes and snorted, "Really?" he shot, "this is the best S.H.I.E.L.D. can get for Captain-Fucking-America?"

Steve scowled, "I'd appreciate if you didn't use those type of words anywhere near me."

Tony waved his hand nonchalanty, "Sure, sure. But really, this? This is pitiful, Steve. How can anyone even live here?"

The room S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided Steve was small, sure, but the blonde man honestly didn't find it that bad. It wasn't very comfy and there was no window (Steve missed some sunlight in the morning), but it was enough and Steve was thankful to S.H.I.E.L.D. for having given it to him.

"It's not a bad place," Steve replied, looking around.

"Do you like here?" Tony asked disbelievingly.

"Uh, yeah, it's not... I mean, sort of... But it's not bad..." Steve sputtered. Tony raised an eyebrow and Steve frowned, "What do you want, Stark?"

Tony sighed, "Okay, here's the thing: I talked to Fury yesterday and he said you're having... uh... some difficulties adapting to this age and he wants me to help you to... set down, or whatever. Firstly, believe me when I say I'm the last person who'd volunteer to help Mr. Spangles with his hardships, but Fury's got a point there. I mean, I'm Tony Stark. If anyone can show you the beauty of this century, this person is me." 

Steve glared at Tony wide-eyed. He was very confused and still trying to assimilate everything the billionaire had said.

Finally, he blinked a few times, and uttered slowly, "I don't know what Fury told you or where those ideas came from, but I'm perfectly fine, don't need any help," Tony rolled his eyes at this and Steve carried on, "Besides, why would you, of all people, want to help me, Stark? And don't tell me that is because you're Tony Stark, because I don't buy it."

"See," Tony said, "happens that Pepper heard me talking with Fury and she's got some arguments of her own. And Pepper can be really convincing. She, hm, kind of made me realize that this whole thing of being-frozen-in-time-and-waking-up-sixty-years-later must be pretty hard, and the fact that I mock you about it whenever I have the chance is not exactly helping it and-" Tony stopped, noticing Steve's astonished gaze at him, "Oh, please, I'm capable of admitting when I'm wrong," he wouldn't tell Steve that, inwardly, that was being much more difficult for him to say than it looked like. Also, Tony thought it was better not to mention the fact that Pepper had nearly threatened him in case he didn't redeem himself to Steve. Which, Tony thought, it was very unfair. Tony could be a hell of a bugger when he wanted to, but Steve hadn't been exactly cordial to him either. 

"Still," Steve insisted, "I'm fine. I appreciate your concern, but-"

"For God's sake, Capsicle. Fury might be the first one to actually bring that up, but we've all seen how fuc-messed up you are," Tony stated matter-of-factly, hoping the Captain wouldn't realize that he almost said one of the 'forbidden' words, "And no, that's not meant to be offensive."

Steve sighed and shook his head. He didn't know that he was that transparent, but oh well, he supposed that even if he wasn't so easy to read, anyone would've known that a man who'd been frozen for sixty-five years would feel sort of displaced.

An outcast. That was exactly how he felt.

"Fury actually told you to come here?" Steve asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Tony replied, "he thinks he can make us get along or something. It isn't all bullshit, though. I can understand why he chose me, seeing that Bruce is always too busy researching or trying to find his peace of mind, Clint can't barely explain you how to use a microwave, Natasha is too creepy to play the role of the '21st century tour guide' and Thor... Well, Thor isn't even from this planet."

"So you're saying that you are the best option for my tour guide, as you put it? You?" Steve cocked his eyebrows and Tony looked offended, "I'm sorry, I just can't believe you're serious. Is this another one of your jokes with Clint? Or a bet or something?"

"Nope," Tony denied, "More like a challenge."

"Someone challenged you?"

"I challenged myself, I'd say."

"Okay," Steve uttered slowly, "Challenged yourself to do what, exactly?"

"Prove you that this century can be as good as the one you came from."

Steve stared blankly at him, "And how are you going to do that?"

"I haven't sort that part out yet, but don't worry," Tony dismissed, "I'll find a way. That's what I do; I fix things and invent other things to make life better."

Steve smiled shamefully inwardly, thinking that none of the Stark Technologies he'd got to know until that moment had made his life better; only more complicated.

"Look," Tony argued, "I'm just as happy with this as you are. But think about it, Cap. What's the worst that could happen?"

Steve crossed his arms and darted Tony a meaningful look. Tony shivered, probably remembering the last times they'd tried to go out together. They'd destroyed a restaurant near Brooklyn, Tony's armor had been completely ruined and Steve would've got some pretty bad wounds if it wasn't for the cure effect of the serum.

"Okay, bad question." Tony raised his hands, "Please, Cap. I don't bite. Do it for the team. Things would be a whole lot easier if you just let me help you to get used to some stuff. I could even teach you to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.S. security system. Right, you probably wouldn't want to do that, being Captain Goody-Two-Shoes and all, but it could be useful."

"Stark, I can't even make a call from that thing you call a clever phone-"

"Smartphone," Tony corrected, "And I didn't know you have one," he said, honestly curious.

"Clint bought it to me,"

"When?"

"Couple months ago,"

"The little bastard. He didn't tell me anything about it."

"That's because I asked him not to," Steve admitted a little embarassed. He'd been temerous that Stark would tease him or try to make thousands of changes in his smartphone (that was the simplest in the market) by the time Clint gave it to him, so he asked his friend to do not tell the billionaire anything about it. When he stopped to think it through, it seemed pretty stupid, but he had been really concerned about it by that time.

Tony looked genuinely surprised for a moment, then nodded slowly in understatement, "Yeah, right. Whatever. I hope it's a StarkPhone, though. Is it?"

"I don't know, Stark," Steve breathed out, suddenly feeling very tired. Tony noticed it, and started thinking of quick and effective ways to make Steve give in to Fury's plan. He wasn't quite sure why he'd agreed with that himself, but now Tony had already told Fury  _and_ Pepper that we would do his best to help the Captain, and though he could just give up and tell them both that he hadn't been able to acomplish that, he had, in fact, challenged himself to make it work. He suspected that it had something to do to what Pepper had told him earlier. Not only the threats, but one particular word that had been wandering in his mind.

_'Pep, as much as I'd love to help Captain Boring, I'm pretty sure I'm the last person to whom he'd ask for help. And considering that he didn't really ask for any help, I'm double sure that he won't like to have me poking my nose into his personal issues,'_ Tony had told his girlfriend nonchalanty.

_'You know what_ I _think, Tone?'_ , she'd answered him, ' _I think you are afraid. Yeah, I think you're afraid because you know that you might not be able to help him, and Tony Stark would never_   _admit that there is something he can't do.'_

_'That's bullshit. Of course I could prove him the 21st Century is much better than the 20th if I tried, but the thing is: I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna try and fight a useless fight,'_

_'Chicken.'_

And that was it. One word was all it took to convince Tony. Now, thinking it through, Tony realized Pepper was a real smartass. She just knew him too much and too well, and knew that if anyone insinuated that he wasn't capable of doing something, he would do all he could to prove them that they were wrong.

"Stark?" Steve called him.

"Uh? Oh, right. Listen, Cap, you have nothing to lose. _Please_ , just give me a chance."

Since he'd been taken out of the ice, Steve had never, ever heard Tony Stark say the word 'please' with that pleading tone. He assumed that, as weird as that sounded, Tony _did_ want to help him. The soldier stared right into Tony's eyes, looking for something, anything, that revealed Stark's real intentions, but he saw nothing in those chocolate brown orbs that indicated Tony had dark aims behind his offer. Besides, it was Fury's idea all along, right? Tony was just someone the director had chosen to perform his purpose. It didn't matter how wrong Steve thought that choice was. The director was still his superior and supposedly knew better.

Beside all that... Although he was certain that nothing that Tony could say or do would convince him that this century was better than his own, it sure would be interesting to see him try. And Tony was right, wasn't him? He had nothing left to lose. 

"I still don't think that whatever is it that you're planning is a good idea," Steve alleged, "but you're right. It wouldn't kill to give you a chance."

Tony's eyes literally twinkled with joy. Rogers had given in and Tony Stark had proved once more that there was nothing he couldn't do. Or almost that.

"Great!" Tony exclaimed, "Now I just..."

"Wait." The soldier interrupted him with a stern expression plastered on his face, "I have some conditions."

Tony frowned, confused, "All right, I guess. Spill it out,"

"First: I don't know what you're planning to do, but if I say that it's over, it's over. You're not going to make me do things that I don't want. "

"Sure, sure," Tony rolled his eyes, "Like if I could force you into something..."

"Second: you have to stop with all the jokes, the irony and the cursing. I don't like that."

Tony almost laughed, "Sorry Cap, but I can't do that. I can try to do not curse next to you, but you can't just ask Tony Stark to stop being ironic or making fun of people."

_This is not going to work_ , Steve thought. He couldn't barely stay in Tony's presence for a few minutes without wanting to run away, how would he bear... Wait. How many time was that thing going to last? He didn't even know what that thing  _was_. What Tony would do? Teach him how to use the computer? That would be a waste of time, for it wouldn't make Steve like the 21st more than he already did.

"There is another thing," he said all of sudden, "you have only a week to do... uh... whatever you're planning to do."

"One week? But-"

"Yeah, Stark, one week. If you really think you know how to make me adapt, that'll be more than enough."

Steve wasn't really expecting anything from this agreement between them. He decided to give that deadline to Tony because he wasn't sure they'd be able to be in terms with each other for much longer, but he knew that one week or one year wouldn't make difference. He had already lost his hopes of adapting, of enjoying this new time.

"All right, one week," Tony agreed, "but I want to make a request, too. You have to live in the Stark Tower with everybody else. At least for this week and then you can go." 

Tony couldn't explain exactly how all the Avengers (except for Steve and Thor) had moved to his place. It had eventually happened after they fought together for the first time, in New York. Firstly, it was Bruce. He didn't have a place to stay in the city and S.H.I.E.L.D. had requested them all to stay in New York for a little while, in case something else happened, and Tony thought it was convenient to invite him to move in. So, after a lot of insistance from Tony's part, Bruce agreed. He spent most of times in his room or in the lab, and Tony thought it felt really good to finally have someone with whom discuss his theories and try new experiences. Then, one day, Clint decided, out of nowhere, to visit them, and was just too impressed with the Stark Tower to go away. So he spent the night there. And the next night. And one week later, he had already taken all of his things to one empty room in one of the several Tower's floors. Tony didn't say anything. As much as the Hawkeye could be an ass sometimes, and very annoying in other times, Tony was starting to enjoy his company, so he just let the ninja stay there.

After two members of the Avengers have moving to their house, Pepper started thinking that it was unkind of Tony's part not inviting the others to move along, so he was carried away by her talk and invited Natasha, Thor and Steve too. Thor didn't agree for obvious reasons - such as he was an Asgardian god and had duties in his own planet; Natasha played hard to get, but give in after seeing how amazingly huge and awesome the Tower was and Steve... well, he said no, and Tony didn't insit any longer because well, to be honest, he thought Steve was an ass and wasn't exactly looking forward to share his house with him.

But now Tony was hopefully expecting that Steve would agree. Wasn't it just too funny?

"And how would that help us, Stark?" Steve questioned. He had said 'no' before and still hadn't changed his mind about moving to the Stark Tower. His room in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarter wasn't on the list of best places on Earth, but he was sure that Tony Stark's house wasn't on that list either.

"Well, one of the things I have to do is to show you the wonders of this century, right?" Tony asked rhetorically, "Stark Tower is definitely wonderful. Besides, this place is too far for me to come here every day, and we'll need to see each other, so..."

"Okay, Stark. But it's only for a week." Steve agreed. He tried not to think where he was getting himself into. He would think about that later, and regret later too.

Tony grinned, "Deal."

And just like that, everything began.

Or something like that.

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, I hate prologues. When I write them, they usually suck, but I promise you the story will get better later.  
> I hope you liked it and again, forgive my mistakes.  
> Comments are welcome!  
> Love,  
> Starlightt  
> P.S. When I created my user, I had no idea I'd call this story 'Starlight'. I was planning on name this 'The Stars Still Shine', but then I thought 'why not?' and gave this name. I just love the word starlight and that's why I choose it as my username, it was not because of this story or because of the Taylor Swift's song (though I really love that song!). Okay, now you must be thinking why I told you this. Idk, I like writing random things


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